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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Igbo Writing (37176 Views)
Other Pre-colonial Igbo Writing Systems? (2) (3) (4)
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Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 4:31pm On May 17, 2015 |
. 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Writing by odensibiri: 4:31pm On May 17, 2015 |
AfricanGod2: This means the encoding is the same as what we're typing with now as opposed to a complete new character set. It's just a font face whereas a proper encoding would mean you could design keyboard and input preferences for the specific writing system, for example you can't google a specific type face but you can google '日本語' and the characters will show up with the same shape. Right now I'm just developing the font face to make it easier to type, although nsibiri characters will have to be manually added into the writing as images. When I've made sure the font file is complete (and won't break your computer) I'll make it available to download. 3 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by odensibiri: 4:34pm On May 17, 2015 |
AfricanGod2: Good one. Hopefully the fact that there are only 1400 nsibiri characters as opposed to 3000+ in Japanese kanji and 8000+ in Chinese hanzi will help learning. 3 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 5:07pm On May 17, 2015 |
Thanks for your reply regarding the font face odensibiri. I have another question, and it stems from the fact that I can't speak Igbo. While writing the pseudo Kanji post I noticed Chiemeka was split into Chi e me ka, meaning Ka on it's own is a word right? But looking up the symbol for ka on the scribd list the Akagu listed there doesn't say that the Nsibidi character representing ka is pronounced as ka, instead it says it's pronounced as chie, and can form Ichie (gods according to GTranslate) and two variants of Ochie (Old according to GT). Does this mean Chiemeka is one word on it's own, and so changes the sounds of the characters that form it, or is Ka a separate word and I just don't understand? One way to explain this might be to break up the meaning of Chiemeka and explain how each meaning matches the Nsibidi characters. 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Writing by ChinenyeN(m): 5:32pm On May 17, 2015 |
AfricanGod2, excellent pseudo Kanji post. That post shows that the initiative is doable. It just simply needs a medium for dissemination. Anyway, I would hope that I am wrong about my earlier assertion, but for the time being it seems difficult to conceive otherwise. In simple terms, I believe that the diaspora remains biggest asset in this initiative. |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 5:50pm On May 17, 2015 |
ChinenyeN: I'll shift it to the first page, that way it's most helpful if this thread makes fp. *modified* Odensibiri you can take down any material my post makes redundant. 2 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Fulaman198(m): 7:51pm On May 17, 2015 |
Wow extraordinary 8 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 9:17pm On May 17, 2015 |
Fulaman198: You're a mod right? Do you think this Nsibidi learning thread is good enough for fp? 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Writing by Fulaman198(m): 9:50pm On May 17, 2015 |
AfricanGod2: Yeah I've requested that it should be on the front-page. Hopefully super mods listen 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Writing by odensibiri: 1:00am On May 18, 2015 |
AfricanGod2: The symbol for 'ká' 'greater than' is from an older version of the script. I wasn't sure how to represent possible affixes (now they're completely in akagu and those symbols elided) and even then that was a test and it would be replaced with the character for 'ká' as in 'Chi' (spirit, nsibiri) + ẹ̀ (affix 'to be', akagu) + mẹ́ ('do, act', nsibiri) + ká ('greater than, surpass', nsibiri). Sorry for the confusion. |
Re: Igbo Writing by odensibiri: 1:11am On May 18, 2015 |
One of the reasons I wanted people in Igbo-speaking areas to be the ones that engage with it the most was so that the characters were modified (as in sound and grammar) to their languages, so that people can write nsibiri in that Igbo language. If you look at my 'Ikpo nsibiri' you'll see I've used a range of dialects as it is not based on any particular dialect. That was presumably one of the advantage of nsibiri, intelligibility between broader forms of Igbo thus eliminating the need for a rigid literary standard for Igbo. Most probably know what I may be talking about, but for example of those who don't speak Igbo an example would be (in random forms) with the word for 'thing', in various forms as: 'ihnye', 'ife', 'hnye', 'hẹ', 'hen', 'fe', and so one, all of these words would be represented by one character. Of course, the range of this intelligibility would be uncertain sometimes because of the grammar of the various form. Apart from that, if there's a sizeable group of people churning out literature in Igbo, the point of this project, then i don't mind where they are because the chances are they'll inevitably impact other Igbo speakers from other areas if, for example, a piece of literature goes big and/or the writing system goes fashionable. I also take the advice of reaching out to Igbo organisations, whatever influence they have. I could get support from the stance of nsibiri being a part of the cultural heritage of Igbo people so people won't see it as much as someone 'making something up'. My mission is also to spread the characters to Cross River languages (maybe a version of akagu for those languages can be created as akagu is specifically designed for Igbo). 3 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 10:01am On May 18, 2015 |
odensibiri: As is found in this list. Got it. Three more questions: a) How are Igbo affixes identified b) Are all affixes written with Akagu (what are the rules?....in simple English Mr Genius ![]() c) from the broken down Chiemeka, it seems to mean: A spirit (God) will do greater things. Is this correct? [img]http://2.bp..com/-IutX8lq5sOM/UtxpPBxFD3I/AAAAAAAABL4/oUhKdqvUE_Q/s1600/Aha+Igbo.png[/img] 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 10:29am On May 18, 2015 |
odensibiri: I see what you mean about the character modification. It'll function similarly to the Hanzi which allows speakers of the Cantonese and Mandarin dialects to understand the same script. ...I never knew Igbo dialects varied so widely, though I remember something about Achebe speaking about avoiding dialectal imperialism. 2 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Bonapart(m): 2:44pm On May 18, 2015 |
. |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 2:46pm On May 18, 2015 |
. 2 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 2:47pm On May 18, 2015 |
Not bad , not bad. The Vai people of Liberia had a similar system for writing too. Good one OP. |
Re: Igbo Writing by Pain(m): 3:02pm On May 18, 2015 |
This is great. God Bless You Immensely |
Re: Igbo Writing by tohpahz(f): 3:03pm On May 18, 2015 |
Hmmmm |
Re: Igbo Writing by tochstorm(m): 3:09pm On May 18, 2015 |
that awkward moment when we have to design our own os. 3 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Cutehector(m): 3:11pm On May 18, 2015 |
tohpahz:hasn't d votin started yet? |
Re: Igbo Writing by tochstorm(m): 3:11pm On May 18, 2015 |
tochstorm:cos windows does not support nsibiri and akago. * powers on my programming machine, cracks my knucklea* here goes nothing! |
Re: Igbo Writing by timilehing(m): 3:17pm On May 18, 2015 |
Nna ehn, hapu that thing biko. The normal Asusu-Igbo self osirike to write not to talk of nka. |
Re: Igbo Writing by timpaker(m): 3:17pm On May 18, 2015 |
All I see is Chinese ![]() |
Re: Igbo Writing by ChinenyeN(m): 3:22pm On May 18, 2015 |
Some of the preceding posts are clear examples of what I mean by Nigerians trivializing the initiative. 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Writing by funkybully(f): 3:23pm On May 18, 2015 |
Very educative. Subscribing immediately. |
Re: Igbo Writing by Humblebloke(m): 3:24pm On May 18, 2015 |
Spirit writing! |
Re: Igbo Writing by Stunner1(f): 3:26pm On May 18, 2015 |
timilehing: As in ehnnn very strong |
Re: Igbo Writing by tochstorm(m): 3:26pm On May 18, 2015 |
this will have a superb advantage! but spreading it will be tough. |
Re: Igbo Writing by preselect(m): 3:27pm On May 18, 2015 |
if only we had a reasonable governance or leadership, this is something that can be introduced into the school systems in the east at least. and even made a major or elective in the universities. 3 Likes |
Re: Igbo Writing by Nobody: 3:29pm On May 18, 2015 |
timpaker: It is not Chinese....it isn't even similar to Chinese Script.. Be happy that at least one Nigerian tribe is developing its indigenous writing system...and modernizing it...the same way the Japanese did it decades ago. And Nsidibi existed long before the colonial period. 8 Likes |
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